The Drakon
The Drakon were created by Spiritualiza Homo Drakonis The Homo Draconis, politely referred to as the Drakon or Drakonians, are Spiritualiza's first genetically engineered species. Born as soldiers, they are the future genetic ruling class in Spiritualiza, the Drakon battled, leveraged, and now enjoy the benefits of genetic type-casting and Lîzan over-specialization. The Drakonian genotype is partially reptilian, but the phenotype is almost completely mammalian due to the inclusion of a secondary genome to combat against viral weaponry and oncogenetic mutation. They stand on average 2 to 3 feet taller than most humans, and easily hundreds of pounds larger thanks to dense bones, larger muscle groups, and redundant vital organs. With sleek, semi-conductive scales covering their bodies, they seem like lizards with casual observation, but have body structures and physiological similarities with mammals, with exothermic bodies, live births, and hominid reproductive and digestive structures. Other indicators include clawed, 5-fingered hands, 3-toed feet ending with sharp toe talons, and the occasional occurrence of a bone-like “crest” at the back of their long, triangular, reptilian skulls that only form ‘horns’ with congenital mutation or aesthetic gene-modification. Eyes Drakonian sight is binocular and generally forward-facing, but the capacity for vision can extend up to 270 degrees if the eyes are turned to the sides as far as possible. This extended vision is more peripheral and loses considerable detail, but military gene-fixing removes this easily, making Drakon deceptively aware of their surroundings. Average visual acuity stands at 20/14 due to purpose-built optical tissue refinements in the retinal tissues that allow far better resolution adjustment when presented with objects of varying distance. This gives Drakon supreme distance judgment and hand-eye coordination, another gift from their Lîzan masters to make them natural-born gunmen. Hearing Rather than ears, Drakon use genetically modified tympanums, or external eardrums to hear. An array of 6 small tympanums on each side of the head are located behind the eyes, each one made of durable, flexible skin-like material and ringed with hardened cartilage. When sound strikes the drum, vibrations on the drum are transmitted to small tissue rods that stir material in the inner-ear tubes of the Drakon. This stirring moves nerve-hair which transmits the motion into crystal clear sound. When Lîzan scientists designed the Drakonian Tympanum, they also incorporated a brilliant failsafe found in most frogs. Drakonian lungs also contain sensory tissues to pick up sound, transmitting any sonic waves that strike or enter the lungs directly to the tympanum systems and converting them into sound. This not only allows extreme air pressure and sound pressure to be safely equalized through the lungs, but allows for pin-point accuracy in finding the source of a sound, as comparing the pressure between the cranial ears and the lung sensor-tissues allows for accurate distance and direction measurement. The system, as it is merely a simplification of hominid hearing systems, does not detract from the frequency range and hearing distance of the Drakon. Lab studies have found a gene-fixed frequency range of 5 Hz – 20,000 Hz, with greater perception at the lower bandwidths. Due to the resilience of the tympanum tissues, regenerative inner-ear tissues, redundant nerve connections, and pressure-reactive bio-analgesics, Drakon can handle long-term sound pressures of approximately 115 dB without sustaining hearing damage, and have been shown to have a threshold of pain of an astounding 160 dB, making them naturally resistant to stun grenades and concussive sensory injury. Touch Drakonian ‘scales’ are extremely deceptive, for they are in fact a cutaneous plating over a dermal tissue wrap, making them more like dense fingernails than anything else. Even then, due to their small size, they are barely noticeable, giving Drakon a sleek, moist shine rather than a gem-like glimmer. Semiconductive to electricity by design, Lîzan scientists gave Drakon a natural affinity to mechanical augmentation, allowing their skin to serve as a much better neural connector than additional wiring. However, this does mean that Drakon are more likely to be harmed by static discharges and electrical accidents, meaning that a few Drakon are gene-fixed and ‘rubber-skinned’ to reduce this conductivity to a minimum. Drakonian sub-skin is generally grey, white, or black. The color of the scales themselves can be greatly variable, covering the ‘chromatic spectrum’ in accordance with Lîzan color-catechism. Reds, blues, whites, blacks, and greens are all common-place, with gene-modification allowing for pinks, greys, and purples as well. Digestive Tract During the Skitz regime, Lîzan were self-hating people at times, and their newly created Drakon species were designed to facilitate flagellant penance and humility when eating. Therefore, the Drakonian digestive system is durable, high-capacity, naturally anti-toxic, and suited to break down nearly anything it faces. With extremely strong stomach and intestinal muscles, diverse and genetically engineered floral and faunal colonies in the digestive tract, and extremely efficient waste removal systems, everything from rocks to urine can be consumed with relatively minor consequence. Artificial poisons still affect Drakon negatively, but raw meat, contaminated food, and rot toxins have been found to do little to dampen Drakonian health. Sexuality Drakon are born to be warriors, and an unfortunate reality of the past Lîzan perception of that role was aggressive military sexuality, often at the expense of others, now referred to by Spiritual Propaganda as a literal ‘rape culture’. While gene-fixing exists that moderates the hormones responsible for aggression and sexual drive, it is usually administered only as a punitive measure to civilian sexual criminals. Due to the loosening of public morality after the economic crash, open cultural exchange with progressive and liberal nations, and hormonal surpluses, Drakon are very forward about their needs and wants, and ‘double-talk’ and innuendo are seen as deceptive and dangerous. Immunosuppressive aptitudes towards negating STIs and venereal blights combined with gene-fixing administered in-utero bring the risk of negative repercussions of base physical activity to a minimum. Female Drakon maternalize hormonally during gestation, making pregnancy the only time ‘at-a-glance’ gender distinctions arise. Mammarial tissues begin to multiply in preparation for a hungry infant and muscle mass decreases as it is catalyzed into nutrition for the unborn, continuing over the course of the 30 weeks of pregnancy. Drakon children are almost always single births, with twins the result of a congenital mutation that the Lîzans referred to as ‘Pairbond Sequences’ and are of interest to psionics and biotics researchers, due to their uncanny aptitude for biotic and psionic implants. Drakon are genetically programmed to birth their young quickly, and to grow up with the same speed. While born a pale white and with no teeth erupted, the full set break within 4 weeks and the skin and scales colorize within 6 months. Breast milk is weaned out of the diet after a year, and physical maturation continues at an accelerated pace until the age of 8, when puberty proper begins, finishing at around age 15. Category:Life